The next day, a small black puppy came up to Steele. "Are you looking for Balto?" he asked.

Steele's eyes glinted. "Who wants to know?" he replied.

The pup shrugged. "I dunno. I just heard that someone around here was looking for him. Well, if you see anyone who wants to know, he's at the harbor yard."

"The harbor yard?"

The black pup pumped his head up and down. "That's right. The one just a block or so that way." And he pointed. "The one with all the piles of boxes. Can't miss it."

"Thanks, kid," muttered Steele, trying to sound bored. "By the way, you look familiar. Have we met?"

The pup shrugged. "Who can tell? All us black dogs look alike." He turned around. "Well, see you." And he trotted off, breaking into a dead run as soon as he was around the corner and out of sight.

"You want us to go get him now, boss?" one of the street dogs asked.

Steele stood up. "Yes. I think it's time to finish my business with that half-breed once and for all."

Toby rushed into the harbor yard. "Is everything ready?" he asked, rolling in the snow to get rid of the soot. The impromptu cleaning job only worked halfway, giving him the appearance of a muddy dalmatian.

Taya nodded. "Steele will be sorry he ever set foot in Nome."

"Good," said Toby. "Here they come."

Steele came into the lot and looked around. "Alright, where are you, lobo?"

Taya stepped out from her hiding place. "Sorry, Dad. Balto had to be away on other business. But I told him I'd be here to settle the matter."

"Taya?" asked Steele. "I thought I told you not to come back."

"I know. But I'm stubborn, thickheaded and demented, just like someone else we know." Steele's eyes narrowed as Taya continued. "The difference is, I don't turn my back on my family. Not now, not ever."

"Get her," Steele ordered, but at precisely that moment a blur shot out of the boxes behind him and took down one of his dogs. Copper had been lying in wait for a sneak attack. With a howl, he turned and launched himself at the other dog. Steele looked at the scene in confusion just before receiving a full-body tackle from Taya. The blow stunned him only for a moment, but then he launched himself at his daughter and the fight began in earnest.

It wasn't fun for either of them. They darted back and forth, swiping blows at each other with every pass. Some missed, but most connected, and there was really no way of knowing who was winning. If Copper had been able to join the fight it would have been all over for Steele, but he had his paws full with the other stray. Taya was drawing on all her experience from her time in the fighting ring, but she and Steele seemed evenly matched. She needed a diversion.

"I was going to stay away, but then I figured something out." She paused to block several blows from Steele. "You're not my dad."

"What?" asked Steele, his eyes widening. He hesitated for a split second, but that was all Taya needed to belt him viciously across the face. He stumbled back and Taya pressed the attack.

"Oh, you may be my biological father, but you=re no dad to me," she growled. "Dads are supposed to be kind. They raise you, take care of you, show you the right way to live!" Steele was cornered by now, and Taya's eyes were on fire. "My brother Hawk raised me! My friends took care of me! And Copper showed me how to live!" She narrowed her eyes and knocked him down with another vicious blow. She stood over him, teeth bared. "So now it's over."

A vicious kick to her stomach knocked her backwards. Winded, she was helpless as Steele attacked. Now it was her turn to feel the brunt of the fight. "I'm gonna give you one last chance," he snarled. "Run along now, or it will be over."

Taya struggled to her feet and wiped the corner of her mouth. "I won't do that," she said, panting for breath. "I tried running from my past all my life, and it got me nowhere. I'm done running. I won't be like you; I'm better than that."

"Wrong answer!" yelled Steele, seizing her and throwing her to the ground. By this point it would have been impossible to be certain whether or not he was rabid. "You've got spirit, Taya, but you'll always be second best to me. First, I'll teach you a lesson, then your precious Copper, and then it's bye-bye for the kids."

Taya's eyes flashed. "No!" she cried, leaping up and driving him back. Steele was many things, but one thing he wasn't was smart, and it reminded Taya of what she was fighting for, he had done something very unwise. "Stay…away…from my…family!" she yelled, slamming into him with her full weight, making him trip and slide backward through the snow until he bumped into a pile of crates.

Steele looked up at her with baleful eyes. "Go ahead then," he said. "Finish me off, why don't you?"

If Taya had claimed that she wasn't tempted, she would have been lying. Steele had been the bane of her existence since her birth, and she would have been more than happy to put him out of everyone's misery, but looking down at him she decided that, as angry as she was, she wouldn't give in to him. Evil for evil was what he'd taught her, but Copper had shown her what mercy was. "No," she said. "I'm not like you, Steele. I'm done killing."

As she turned away, Steele struggled to his feet. "Hey," he growled, "I'm not through with you yet."

"No," snapped Taya, "but I'm through with you. And if you know what's good for you, you'll get out of Nome. Now."

Furious, Steele charged blindly at her. Taya listened to his footsteps, then jumped aside. Steele barreled past her and straight into an unsteady pile of boxes. The pile teetered as he gazed up at it in a daze.

Taya stepped back as the boxes fell.

Once he realized Steele was down, the third dog gave up without a fight. Toby and Luna ran up to Taya. "That was amazing," said Toby.

"Yeah, I didn't know you could fight like that," said Luna.

"Neither did I," admitted Taya. "I never fought like that in the ring."

"So what happened?" asked Copper.

"I guess I won because I had something worth fighting for. He didn't. Now come on, let's go."

Rex came up to them at that moment. "I heard a fight around here. What's going on?"

Toby flinched. He'd forgotten how close the harbor was to his dad's place. They'd told Rex about the situation the night before, but his duty as a police dog drove him to investigate anyway.

"Just…a little family matter," said Taya. "But it's over now."

Rex looked her up and down, noting the many bruises she bore from the fight. "I hope so." He looked over the rest of the scene and started to leave, then turned to Toby with a severe look. "And you, young sir, are going straight home to have a bath right now."

"But dad," Toby groaned.

"No buts. Home. Now."

"Oh, okay," said Toby. "Mom's gonna kill me when she sees me like this."

"Oh, one more thing," added Rex, ignoring Toby's complaint. "Someone you might know was caught today stealing from somebody's clothesline. The chief checked his record and found out he'd broken out of prison during an unfinished sentence for dogfighting."

"Carson!" Taya and Copper exclaimed in unison.

"The same," Rex replied.

"How bad was it?" asked Luna.

"The damage? Not very. The worst of it was the cold; his skin was as blue as his shirt. Or," he added, coming as close to smiling as they=d ever seen him outside, "what was left of it." Everyone laughed. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that you can all rest easy tonight." And he turned and walked away.

"Well, then," said Luna, "I guess it's a happy ending all around."

"Except for me," griped Toby. "I have to go home for a bath."

Right at that moment the pile of boxes shifted. They turned back toward it, alerted by the sound, but saw nothing. They shrugged, but when they turned to leave, it shifted again. They turned to face it again, and this time Steele crawled out, battered and bruised. But his eyes still had fight to spare. "Alright," he growled. "Now you're really in for it."

Without thinking, Toby jumped onto Copper's shoulders. "Hey, bozo!" he yelled. "Remember me?" In case Steele needed a reminder, Toby clicked his teeth. Steele's eyes flashed. "Come and get me, you pea-brained, flea-bitten, mangy-furred knucklehead!"

Steele charged, and Copper dashed off as Taya picked up Luna and ran the other way. Steele paused to decide which one to go after before a raspberry from Toby answered the question. "Come on, try to keep up, old man!" Toby teased. "We'll beat you faster than your breath will curdle milk!" Then he whispered to Copper, "Head for the train station. I've got an idea."

Copper did as he was told. "Now what?" he asked.

"Over there!" said Toby, pointing to a train about to leave. There was an open boxcar. Toby jumped in and told Copper, "Now hide behind the platform."

"What for?" asked Copper.

"Trust me," insisted Toby.

A snarl from around the corner convinced Copper. He ducked out of sight just as Steele showed up. "Alright, kid! Where are you?" yelled Steele.

"Right here, Dracula!" called Toby, waving from the door. "Can you see me? In case your eyes are getting old, I'll keep yelling and hope you're not going deaf too!"

Steele ran at Toby and jumped into the car. Toby turned and dashed out a hole in the other side that was just his size, but too small for Steele. "Shut the door, Copper!" he yelled.

Too late, Steele realized he'd been had. The door slid shut and the latch came down just as he crashed against it. "Bon voyage, Steele!" yelled Copper.

"All aboard!" called the conductor. "All aboard for New York City!"

The train whistle blew as it pulled out of the station. "Did he say New York?" asked Copper.

"I think so," answered Toby. "Why?"

"Well," said Copper with a laugh, "if I remember dad's stories right, that's where they put up a statue of him."

"Oh, man," laughed Toby. "I bet Steele won't be too happy when he gets off that train. A statue of Balto. Talk about adding insult to injury!"

"Yeah, no kidding," Copper agreed. Then he turned serious. "Now, let's get you home before your dad decides to ground you and put me under house arrest."